How long can installation of plastic windows take?
The issue of installation time for one plastic window worries customers not out of idle curiosity. As a rule, people have to take time off from work, send their children to grandma, prepare the premises for the upcoming installation, etc. And if the installation of PVC windows also takes place in the winter, all the above concerns are added to the fear of freezing the living space with an open window opening. In general, the installation process brings a slight chaos into the customer’s life, and the sooner it ends, the better. At the same time, we must remember that there is an inverse relationship between the speed of window installation and the quality of window installation. The faster the installation, the worse the quality. And vice versa. So, you just need to be patient and let the installation crew do everything as expected, without unnecessary haste. Next, we will use specific examples to analyze what can determine the speed of installation of a plastic window in modern houses and apartments.
First, it’s worth deciding what is meant by the term “installation of a plastic window.” As a rule, we are talking about the procedure for dismantling an old window, installing a new window unit, aligning it in planes, securely fastening it and creating a high-quality installation seam, as well as collecting and removing debris remaining after dismantling and installation procedures. Additionally, the process of delivering windows and bringing them into the room could be attributed here, but we will not do this, since delivery and installation are carried out on different days.
The condition of the room where the installation procedures will be carried out is of great importance for the timing of installation of a plastic window. It's quite simple to explain. All dismantling and installation processes are accompanied by the use of physical force, lifting heavy parts, elements and tools, which significantly increases the risk of touching, damaging, breaking or scratching something.
It is immediately worth noting that it is the customer who, before the installers arrive, must take care to protect furniture, coverings and furnishings from damage and contamination, as well as clear free space for the convenience of the installation team. After all, it's in his best interest. You need to set aside tables and chairs, remove everything from the windowsill, protect upholstered furniture with cellophane, lay newspapers on the floor in front of the window, etc. Some customers do not do this, believing that the installers themselves should do this. And installers, as understanding people, can actually take a number of actions to protect the premises from damage, although this is not their responsibility. As you understand, the preparatory procedures plus the need to work extremely carefully and slowly, all this will certainly affect the installation time of the plastic window, which is not at all in your interests.
It will be easiest for the installation team if the house is at the construction stage. There is no need to clean anything, there is no risk of damaging anything, there are no old window units that have to be dismantled in residential buildings and apartments. Even the debris that is generated during installation can be removed by the builders working on site. Considering the absence of a dismantling procedure, it will be several times less than under normal conditions. In general, if the measurements are carried out correctly and there are no additional complications, the entire process of installing one window can take a maximum of an hour. If installers are free, they can glaze the entire house in two to three days, provided they are fully employed at one site.
The second option is to install windows in a house or apartment that is being renovated. In principle, everything is the same as in the previous case, but the process of dismantling the old window is added. And this process, I must say, is purely individual. Removing the old window unit can take anywhere from one to six hours, depending on conditions, which we'll talk about a little later. We also add to the total installation time the process of collecting and removing waste remaining after dismantling. In some cases, about a dozen bags of brick, concrete and plaster can be collected from one single window.
We have everything the same as in the case of a room being renovated, plus we add the need for more careful actions in a residential environment. As we have already said, installers will do everything possible to prevent damage to furniture and other surfaces. But only you can completely eliminate the risk of possible troubles by properly preparing the room for installation procedures. With proper preparation, the installation process can speed up significantly, amounting to about an hour and a half per window.
Panel and brick houses
The difference between the speed of installation of plastic windows in panel and brick houses is very, very significant. It is much easier for installation teams to work in panel-type buildings, where there is no need to drill into the plaster with a hammer drill, where pieces of brick walls are not broken out, etc. Dismantling procedures here, as a rule, last no more than half an hour. And there is very little garbage left. The treasured hour and a half for installing PVC windows in panel high-rise buildings is not a myth, but a reality. Of course, in the absence of additional difficulties that we talked about above. As for brick houses, even the dismantling process can take several hours. Installation crews have to remove the plaster layer, the thickness of which can be from 20 centimeters. And brick tends to deteriorate over time, which leads to the need to be extremely careful during the dismantling process. So, if the process of installing plastic windows in a brick house takes a whole working day, don’t be surprised.
How long does it take to install plastic windows and how to prevent hackwork
The exact duration of installation work varies depending on the characteristics of the object and the specifics of the structures, that is, here we are talking about several hours that can stretch into a couple of days. Most companies specializing in the sale and installation of plastic double-glazed windows promise to complete all activities in 2 hours: is it worth believing such optimistic forecasts?
Main stages of work, their duration
In general, the following stages of installation activities can be distinguished for each window opening:
In general terms, a turnkey replacement (that is, together with finishing) takes 3 hours. At the same time, in cold weather, outside air penetrates into the room for no longer than 40 minutes. It is necessary to understand that plastic windows in Nizhny Novgorod require a certain amount of installation time depending on the type of house - block or brick, cottage or the notorious “Stalinist” one.
Subtleties of working in a wooden house
If the building is made of timber or logs, the implementation of a modern window structure turns into a very painstaking task. Since the natural material is very whimsical, one should not be dishonest or hasty when working. In order for a plastic double-glazed window to serve flawlessly for many years, it is necessary to properly prepare the openings - perform casing, and only then fix the window structures. That is, a period of preliminary activities is added to the standard time.
Realities: how many plastic windows are actually installed
In an apartment in which workers have just begun finishing work, installation of the products will take about a day - several windows plus a balcony door, etc. There will be practically no associated actions, such as cleaning the premises, because all construction waste will be removed during the renovation process.
With an apartment in a residential building, everything is more complicated - if the owners decide to install good double-glazed windows in rooms that have been in use for a long time, the craftsmen, firstly, will have to be very careful at all stages so as not to damage the furnishings in the rooms. First, everything that cannot be taken out will be covered, then the workers will very carefully (in theory) begin to dismantle the old structures, and all the resulting waste will have to be constantly removed. Considering that there are always several windows, the process will take days.
In principle, it is wrong to judge the effectiveness of work by its timing - windows are fragile and capricious products, and it would be better for the craftsmen to work longer, but with better quality. In fact, it often turns out that the team, trying to complete the task faster, is dishonest about the process, and after a while the owner has to hire other craftsmen to restore the windows.
When can windows be installed?
Although people try to install windows in the warm season, modern technologies make it possible to do this in almost any weather. Nowadays, many companies use special protective screens that cover window openings from wind, rain or snow while installation is being carried out.
The cold season also imposes some other features. In particular, installation of PVC windows in winter involves delivery of products to the site at least a day before their installation. Otherwise, during installation, cracks may occur in the areas where point forces are applied in the profile. In addition, in winter, installers use foams designed for low temperatures: “Titan”, “Soudal”, etc.
What is the difference between installing windows in a panel and brick house?
Features of installation of plastic windows depend on the characteristics of the building. Since the depth of window openings in brick houses is much greater than in panel houses, when installing plastic windows in brick houses they have to be “adjusted”, taking into account the depth of the opening.
During installation, installers are constantly faced with such construction flaws as geometrically irregular openings, uneven wall thickness, and mismatched dimensions in construction drawings. In this regard, it is very important that the qualification level of installers installing plastic windows matches the complexity of the work performed. As is known, only well-established companies can provide highly qualified personnel.
What should the customer pay attention to while the installers are working?
Most importantly, you need to make sure that the window frame and frame are not deformed or installed skewed. To do this, of course, it is not necessary to grab the level and plumb every minute, so that, after pushing the craftsmen, you yourself can check the verticality of the sides and the horizontality of the upper and lower sides of the window.
It is enough to check its position before it is finally fixed in place. You should also pay attention to the fact that the craftsmen do not try to “speed up” the work and achieve a more “tight” fit of the surfaces of the aluminum “warm” window to the wall by screwing it with bolts and screws. In this case, the polyamide insulation inside the profiles will probably be damaged.
The gaps between the wall and the frame should be within 2-3 (cm). If they turn out to be smaller, there will be no room left for the foam, which, in addition to insulating heat, acts as a shock absorber: if the window “moves” to the side, the frame will rest against the foam and will not deform.
Installing a window in an apartment
Installing a window in an apartment is a very difficult task. This is due to the fact that in this case the apartment is often already equipped and furnished. The matter can also be complicated by the fact that the room in some cases has an expensive and advanced design. The installation team may encounter certain problems here:
- access to the window may be difficult;
- there is exclusive furniture that has no price;
- The flooring is very expensive, which requires maximum care even when walking.
As a result, the team will need to be extremely careful. In addition, it will be necessary to carry out preparatory work and clean everything up upon completion of the work. Not a single speck of dust should remain. At the same time, installation time will be required by an order of magnitude more, because such a “careful” attitude will require a lot of attention. As a result, the work may be delayed; for example, replacing windows in a three-room apartment may take up to 72 hours.
What to do if the contractor violates the deadline for starting work or the work is done poorly?
If an advance payment for services was made, but the work was not completed or was performed poorly, Article 395 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation – “Use of other people’s funds” – comes into force. Under this article, interest accrues in favor of the injured party from the moment the claim is filed. In this case, it is necessary to save and present in court the work acceptance certificate (if the deadlines specified in the contract are not met, then the customer should not sign the certificate specified in the contract).
What penalties may there be? Penalties for each day the contract is overdue. A penalty that is paid either according to the agreement, or at the refinancing interest rate of the Central Bank, or in accordance with Article 395 of the Civil Code. Lawyers charge from 7 to 12 percent of the amount of the claim (the amount of the claim is determined by the victim himself). But keep in mind: the higher the amount, the lower the percentage. And most importantly: be more careful when drawing up a contract.
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December 24, 2022 12:25
All our products made from pvc profiles “Veka” “Rehau” “KBE” are certified and fully comply with all hygienic and fire safety standards ISO GOST SNIiP.
Our windows and doors are chosen for their safety and affordable price!
What unexpected costs may arise when installing windows?
The most flexible payment system is a percentage of the total cost of the window. Usually it is 20-30%. But it happens that the customer may be offered a fixed amount even before the work begins. It rarely goes below $60.
What else affects the installation price?
First. For the installation of windows above the 7th floor, the company can set a premium, since for external high-rise work it will sometimes be necessary to call in industrial climbers.
Second. If there are more than four windows, we can talk about additional discounts.
Third. Delivery of new frames and removal of construction waste may be paid separately.
The complexity of the fittings and the number of opening methods should not affect the installation price. In any case, the customer must be provided with a price list of all agreed services. Once the contract is signed, prices should not change.
Question:
Standard production times for a standard window
To make decisions about the stages of construction and repair, you can operate with standard production times for plastic window and door units. A window made of a white PVC profile with conventional fittings and a standard single-chamber or double-glazed window can be produced in a period of 3 days.
Mandatory conditions for order fulfillment within a standard time frame: availability of all components in stock and no queue of orders. If production is heavily loaded with orders, the production queue may be several days, which will need to be added to the standard time.
What can affect the increase in standard production time:
- Production workload;
- Lack of necessary components in stock;
- Inclusion of a time-consuming additional processing process (for example, lamination or painting of a PVC profile, stained glass in a double-glazed window);
- Circumstances of force majeure or force majeure.
Windows without double glazing can be produced faster
Technically, the process of hardening of adhesive and sealing compounds used in double-glazed windows does not allow speeding up window assembly. For a double-glazed window glued according to all the rules to harden into a rigid structure, a day must pass (preliminary hardening of the sealants takes place in 2-3 hours, and the final hardening takes place in about 24 hours).
If the window does not require double glazing, the window production time can be reduced by a day
When one glass of glazing is sufficient, the timing problem is solved by the availability of the required glass in stock. If it is a typical one, the window's readiness time is reduced by 24 hours.
“When it is urgently necessary to close window openings, the delivery time of finished products can be reduced by installing window blocks with installed technical filling.
As a technical alternative to a double-glazed window, a sandwich panel of a given thickness is used, which must correspond to the thickness of the future double-glazed window. Then, when the glass unit is ready, the technical filling is replaced with the finished glass unit. Replacing the infill on site is a simple step that does not require much labor.”
Optimal production times for PVC windows
The production time of PVC windows is an important marker that can inform the client about a lot. This indicator depends on the complexity and volume of the order, the time of year and, of course, on the integrity of the window company. Indeed, such information can help you understand whether you should trust a particular organization to produce windows or whether you need to look for another company.
How they cheat with deadlines
Some companies, in pursuit of customers, promise to fulfill orders in 2-3 days. It is better to avoid such productive ones, since the production of plastic windows requires much more time. In the vast majority of cases, promising unrealistic deadlines can mean one of two things:
- the client is dealing with scammers who will take an advance payment and disappear;
- The order will be completed much longer than the promised 2-3 days.
Sometimes there is a risk that, in addition to a noticeable delay in production time, the company uses low-quality components for production. You can read more about such scammers operating in the Russian construction market on OknaTrade.
There are companies that sell ready-made windows. In this case, the order completion time in 2-3 days or even less is realistic. If buyers are satisfied with such designs by all criteria, they should not be afraid to deal with similar companies that openly say that they sell finished products.
Installing a window in an apartment
Installing a window in an apartment is a very difficult task. This is due to the fact that in this case the apartment is often already equipped and furnished. The matter can also be complicated by the fact that the room in some cases has an expensive and advanced design. The installation team may encounter certain problems here:
- access to the window may be difficult;
- there is exclusive furniture that has no price;
- The flooring is very expensive, which requires maximum care even when walking.
As a result, the team will need to be extremely careful. In addition, it will be necessary to carry out preparatory work and clean everything up upon completion of the work. Not a single speck of dust should remain. At the same time, installation time will be required by an order of magnitude more, because such a “careful” attitude will require a lot of attention. As a result, the work may be delayed; for example, replacing windows in a three-room apartment may take up to 72 hours.
Production stages of PVC windows
To understand what timeframes it is advisable to focus on and not be afraid of being deceived, it is recommended to understand in general terms what stages the production of windows consists of. Each of them takes a certain time:
- After the measurements are taken,
technical documentation is prepared, on the basis of which all work on the manufacture of window structures will be carried out in the production shops. Depending on the volume of the order and the workload of the design department, this procedure may take from 2 hours to 2 days. Today, not a single reputable manufacturer will allow itself to make paper drawings and sketches. Detailing is performed using special programs, and then this data is transferred to CNC cutting centers. Hacksaws and angle cutters, with modern technological capabilities, are used only in handicraft workshops. - Cutting profiles
according to prepared documentation takes from several hours to two days - this is how long the automated line performs cutting. Moreover, we are talking about simple rectangular structures.
- to produce a low-quality double-glazed window
in a home workshop, but a reliable, energy-efficient model can be made in up to 4 days. Moreover, some responsible window manufacturers prefer to cooperate with companies that produce double-glazed windows and order these products from them. In such cases, the time frame is also on average 3-4 days. - The assembly of structures
from cut parts is carried out only after the double-glazed windows have been manufactured. Depending on the volume and complexity of the work, this stage takes from several hours to 2 days. - Mandatory
inspection of finished products for stability of shape, absence of chips and other defects is usually carried out 6-7 days after the order is put into operation.
If you add up the time it takes to go through all the stages, you end up with 7-10 days. These are the deadlines required to produce high-quality windows. Moreover, in the “high season” (from the beginning of summer to October), due to heavy workload, the order fulfillment time usually increases to 12-15 days, and sometimes more.
The production of plastic windows of complex shapes and structures from laminated profile systems requires more time. This must be immediately taken into account when ordering such models. With an average workload of the enterprise, their production may take up to 12 days.
"Seven times measure cut once"
So, you finally decided to install new beautiful windows yourself. In this case, before ordering frames and double-glazed windows, the most important thing is to make all measurements absolutely accurately, so that the result does not disappoint you, but pleases you for many years.
To do this, you need to carefully measure the window opening where you plan to install a new window, from the inside - its width from the base of the wall, and not from the existing slopes. If there are any, they must be dismantled before measurements. Then we measure the height of the window opening, taking into account what kind of window sill you have in your house. If it is possible to remove it, the height is taken into account from the base of the slab on which the window is supposed to be placed. The next parameter is the depth of the opening. These measurements should also be made taking into account the presence of dismantled elements such as old plaster, slats and slats of the old window. Thus, we have completed internal measurements.
You also need to be extremely careful with the external dimensions of the window opening. Here we are dealing with the same parameters - width, height and depth. In this case, you again need to take into account the presence of dismantled parts such as old plaster, cement or edging at the bottom of the window opening.
When taking measurements, it should be taken into account that the window can contract and expand under the influence of temperature fluctuations. To do this, it is necessary to leave appropriate space in the window opening, the minimum size of which is strictly defined.
So, for windows up to 1.2 m in size, a gap of 15 mm is sufficient, for windows up to 2.2 m in size - 20 mm, and for windows up to 3 m in size - 25 mm.
Do not forget that the window does not completely “sit” into the window opening, but only extends into it a few centimeters. In other words, you need at least 4 cm of distance between the edges of the double-glazed window and the sash itself in order to make slopes. Thus, it makes sense to order windows only after all measurements have been taken, taking into account the window edging and all details have been taken into account. Don’t forget about the fittings and all the necessary elements - a handle, a mosquito net, fastenings for it, ebb and window sill.
Removing the old window
Dismantling an old window is a troublesome and quite dirty task, since there will be a lot of dust. Therefore, it is worth at least covering all interior items in the room with film. However, the best option is if the room is completely free of furniture, especially soft furniture.
To dismantle the old window you will need a chisel, hammer, pry bar, hacksaw or jigsaw. The chisel and hammer can be replaced with a hammer drill. First of all, we get rid of the old window or the window sash that is the smallest in size. Then remove the large sash. After this comes the turn of the internal partition between the sashes - it must be sawed and then removed from the frame. Next, we “disassemble” the lower part of the old frame, also using a hacksaw or jigsaw, and then dismantle the remaining parts of the window.
After the old frame has been dismantled, it is necessary to level the surfaces where the new window will be placed. To do this, use a hammer drill or a chisel and a hammer to chop off all the irregularities, and in order to be able to install a new window sill, the same tools must be used to prepare grooves along the openings of the future window.
Now you need to prepare for the relatively “clean” process of installing a new window. To do this, completely free the window opening from debris and dust. The crumbling surfaces of the opening must be treated with strengthening primers.
Particular attention should be paid to those places where the sealing tapes will be glued to ensure their reliable fixation. For this purpose, special primers (primers) can be used.
Preparing the profile for installation
Before installing a new window, you need to disassemble it: remove the sashes and remove the double-glazed windows from the blind parts of the window. Since the outside of the window profile is covered with a protective film, you must remove it before installation. It is also necessary to immediately fix the fastenings for the mosquito net, and close the drain holes with decorative plugs.
An important stage in preparing a window profile for installation is compliance with the requirements for protecting the installation seam or installation of windows in accordance with GOST. In the Russian climate with high temperature changes, even with the most careful installation and use of windows, the problem can be the appearance of condensation, and then fungus on the walls adjacent to the window opening. To avoid this problem, it is recommended to use vapor barrier and waterproofing vapor-permeable tapes. At this stage, before installing the window frame in the opening, on the inside of the quarter of the opening or on the frame profile, where it adjoins the quarter, it is necessary to stick PSUL (vapor-permeable self-expanding sealing tape).
This will ensure a tight connection of the profile to the window opening. To ensure sealing of the seam from the inside of the room, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, vapor barrier tapes are glued to the profile. To seal the junctions of additional elements, expansion and support profiles, it is recommended to use self-expanding tape.
Anchors or plates?
One of the main points that you should decide on before installing a new window is the mounting method. You may prefer to “mount” the window profile on anchors or on mounting plates. Each of these methods has its own characteristics, and therefore, to make the right choice, you need to take into account a number of nuances of your room, and first of all, the material from which the walls are made.
